Adjustable garment hanger



Feb 7 395% J. A. SAUNDERS ADJUSTABLE GARMENT mam mags 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 8. 12-347 IN VEN TOR.

2 ATTUH/YEY Feb, '2, 1950 J. A. sAuNDERs ADJUSTABLE GARMENT HANGER Filed Dec. 8, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JACK A. SAUNDERS Patented Feb. 7, 1950 UNITED S TAT ES PATENT O F Fl CE ADJUSTABLE GARMENT HANGER Jack A. Saunders, Woodside, N. Y.

Application December 8, 1947, Serial No. 790,404

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved garment hanger.

One of its objects is to provide a. hanger with aself-adjusting shoulder support on. each cantilever arm thereof, and means. for simultaneously withdrawing both shoulder supports from extended outward positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a garment hanger for upper garments, such as coats, with a. pair'of tubular cantilever arms and form fitting shoulder plunger rods slidably mounted in the cantilever arms and maintained under. pressure. by enclosed spring means, so that the plunger rods will maintain-a constant form maintaining pressure on a coat supported by the hanger, so that the shoulder pads of the coat will be maintained in. the normal dress condition, as when worn by the user for whom the coat was fitted.

Still another object of the invention. is the. provision of a garment hanger with integral cantilever supporting arms, shouldersupporting plunger rods slidable in the cantilever arms through normally open outer ends thereof, an elastic strip secured at one end to each cantilever arm and at the other end to the inner end of'the adjacent plunger rod or shoulder form, and flexible members connected to the inner ends of the plunger rods and slidable through a central opening formed in the hanger to enable the user to simultaneously withdraw both plunger rods from their normally extended outward positions.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is an end elevation of the improved garment hanger, showing the shoulder form plunger rods normally extended from their outermost positions.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view thereof, showing the tubular construction of the cantilever arms of the garment hanger.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view, taken. on linev 3-3- of Fig. 2, looking in the. direction. of. the arrows.

Fig. 4 isa detail bottom plan view of. a guide.-

Fig;. 5 is av transverse sectional View, taken on 2 line 5;--5 of: Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is: a side, elevation of a modified: form of the invention, showing skirt: holding extensions.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of one of the skirt holders.

Fig. 8-is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 6, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of another modified form, showing the use of shoulder extensions.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of one of the extensions.

Fig. 12. isa; top plan view thereof.

Fig. 1.13 is. a cross sectional view, taken on line l3-|3 of Fig. 1.0:, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 14 is; aside. elevation of a modified sleeve, combining skirt. hanger and shoulder form.

Referring to'the drawings, which illustrate the practical embodiment of the invention, Iii designates a garment hanger having a central supporting hook I"! and cantilever hanger arms l2 and 13 of tubular construction, which extend in opposite directions from the hook H, and in slightly inclined planes.

The tubular cantilever arms l2 and it are shown to have internal bores I2 and [3 of uni form diameter; which may be cylindrical in form, and the outer end of each tubular arm is provided with a. normally open outer end M.

In the tubular hanger arm I2 a plunger rod I5. is slidably mounted, and this plunger rod has a cross. sectional. form corresponding to that of the tubular hanger arm bore iZ which in the case illustrated is cylindrical or round. This rod i5. is formed with a longitudinal groove. li on its lower side, which receives the keeper plate !6;, secured to the outer end of the; arm l2, below the open end 14 thereof, as by the pin it. This keeper plate provides at the same time a key lug I-6=*-,. which: slid-ably engages the groove I5 and. means for clamping the outer end of the elastic strip llg, which is extended through the groove 15*, and secured to the inner end of the plunger rod: I5, by the keeper plate I8.

Inthetubular hanger arm l3 a plunger rod [9 is slidably mounted, and this rod has a cross sectional form corresponding to the bore w of the arm l3... The red It is formed. with a longitudinal: groove. [9% which is engaged by the key 2.1] of; the keeper plate, 29, which is mounted on theouter-nd of; thahanger'arm'lfih An elastic strip 2I is secured by the keeper plate 20 to the outer end of the hanger arm I3, and by the keeper plate 22 to the inner end of the plunger rod I9.

The elastic strips I1 and 2| are so adjusted that they tend to move the plunger rods I5 and I9 outwardly of the hanger arms I2 and I 3. To provide means for moving the plunger rods inwardly, a flexible pull string or wire, or ball chain 23 is attached to the inner end of the plunger rod I5, and a similar flexible pull string or wire,

or ball chain 24 is attached to the inner end of r the plunger rod I 9, and both of these pull chains 23 and 24 are extended through a centrally located tubular boss 25, which is provided with a pendant arm 26, terminating in a bifurcated guide 26*, through which both chains 23 and 24 are extended. A pull ring 21 is connected to the ends of the chains and normally hangs below the guide 26.

When the user desires to mount a coat or similar garment on the hanger, the garment is placed on the hanger in the usual manner, and the pull chains or flexible members are simultaneously pulled downwardly, so that both plunger rods I5 and I9 will be retracted into the hanger arms. After the coat or other garment has been located on the hanger arms the pull chains or flexible members are released, so that the elastic strips I1 and 2I will force the plunger rods against the shoulder padded portions of the garment supported on the hanger.

The pressure of the plunger rods of the tubular cantilever hanger arms will tend to broaden the support of the hanger against the coat, and will maintain the padded shoulders of the garment in their normal form fitting condition.

This will tend to prevent sagging of a coat supported on the improved garment hanger, and will furthermore, serve to keep the coat or other garment in better shape for wear, so that when worn by the proper user it will display its best fit, and look well draped on the user.

The hanger may be constructed of plastic or metal, or a combination of plastic and metal, or any other similar combination of materials.

By interlocking the balls of the ball chain, or similarly spaced knots of a flexible cable or pull member, on the bifurcated guide the position of the sliding, spring pressed and form maintaining plunger rods may be adjusted to suit the taste of needs of any user, and to minimize or regulate the pressure exerted by the flexible propelling springs or elastic strips.

Referring to Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, the hanger I is shown to be provided with a retractile plunger I in each tubular end thereof, as in the primary construction shown in Fig. 2. On each plunger a sleeve 30 is slidably fitted. This sleeve is formed with an internal longitudinal key 3|, which engages the longitudinal keyway 32 of the plunger I5 The sleeve is formed of plastic or similar material, and is shaped to provide a closed outer end 33, and a downwardly and rearwardly extending cantilever arm 34 on its lower side, which is integral therewith. The outer inclined side of this arm is formed with corrugations or rounded teeth 35, which provide a friction bearing surface for the inner side of the waist band of a skirt.

The internal elastic strips or springs which force the plungers I5 outwardly also force the sleeves 30 outwardly. When a skirt is placed around both of the corrugated or toothed arms it will be supported by the pressure or the elastic strips against dropping from the hanger. More than one skirt may be so mounted on the extension sleeves of a single hanger.

In Figs. 10 to 13, inclusive, I show another modified form of the invention, wherein the same hanger I0 is adapted for holding the shoulder form sleeves 40 on the ends of the spring pressed end plungers I5 thereof. Each of these sleeves is formed with a tubular inner end 4| which receives the outer end of the plunger I5 and the bottom wall portion of this tubular inner end is formed with an integral key 42 which is slidably received by the keyway I5 of the plunger I5 The sleeve 40 is also formed with an arched upper surface 40' and with integral shoulder form wings 43 and 43 which extend on opposite sides thereof, and which broaden the load supporting surface at the points where the hanger engages the shoulder areas of a coat or outer garment.

Both of the sleeves will be pushed outwardly to subject the coat supported on the hanger to a certain degree of stretching, which will tend to smooth out wrinkles formed in it, and the shoul ders of the coat will be opened up by the shoulder form portions, so that the coat will rest in proper draped or style lines upon the hanger.

In the modification of the invention shown in Fig. 14, the construction of the sleeve 40 which is to be mounted on the spring pressed plunger of the hanger is substantially similar to that shown in Figs. 10 to 13. However, the sleeve 40 of this modified form differs from that previous form only in that the tubular inner end 4| is formed with a depending inclined arm 34 formed along its outer edge with corrugations for supporting a skirt.

In other respects this modification is similar to that shown in Figs. 10 to 13.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and the right is reserved to all changes and modifications coming within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. A garment hanger having oppositely extending tubular hanger arms open at the outer ends, a plunger rod slidable in each tubular hanger arm and provided with a longitudinal groove in one side thereof, a key mounted on the outer end of each hanger arm to engage the groove of the adjacent plunger rod, and a flexible elastic strip connected to the outer end of each hanger arm and to the inner end of each plunger rod and adapted to propel its plunger rod outwardly of the hanger arm.

2. A garment hanger having oppositely extending tubular hanger arms open at their outer ends, a plunger rod slidable in each tubular hanger arm and keyed against relative turning movement, an elastic strip connecting the inner end of each plunger rod to the outer end of the hanger arm enclosing the same, and means for simultaneously moving the plunger rods inwardly.

3. A garment hanger having oppositely extending tubular hanger arms open at their outer ends, a plunger rod slidable in each tubular hanger arm and keyed against relative turning movement, an elastic strip connected at its outer end to each hanger arm and at its inner end to the plunger rod enclosed thereby, and a ball pull #5 chain connected to the inner end of each plunger rod and slidable through the hanger and providing means for simultaneously moving both plunger rods inwardly, the elastic strips normally propelling the plunger arms outwardly to maintain a constant pressure against the shoulder portions of a coat supported on the hanger.

4. A garment hanger having oppositely extending tubular hanger arms open at their outer ends, a plunger rod slidable in each tubular hanger arm and keyed against relative turning movement, an elastic strip connected at its outer end to each hanger arm and at its inner end-to the plunger rod enclosed thereby, a ball pull chain connected to the inner end of each plunger rod and slidable through the hanger and providing means for simultaneously moving both plunger rods inwardly, the elastic strips normally propelling the plunger arms outwardly to maintain a constant pressure against the shoulder portions of a coat supported on the hanger, and a pendant guide formed on the hanger and having a bifurcated member on which the ball chains may be secured in adjusted position to regulate the eX- tension of the plunger rods.

5. A coat hanger having a spring pressed plunger on each end thereof provided with a longitudinal keyway, a sleeve mounted on each plunger and provided with a key to engage said longitudinal keyway, and a rearwardly and downwardly inclined arm formed on the underside of the sleeve and provided with teeth on its upper side to engage a skirt.

6. A coat hanger having spring pressed plungers on the opposite ends thereof, each plunger having a longitudinal keyway on its underside, a sleeve having a key engaged with the keyway and provided on its upper side with laterally extending shoulder form wings and an arched upper surface and an integral rearwardly and downwardly inclined cantilever arm on its lower side having skirt gripping teeth on its upper side.

7. A garment hanger comprising a hanger body having a pair of outwardly and downwardly extended tubular arms, plunger rods each having one end slidably extended into the outer end of one of said tubular arms, resilient means urging said plunger rods outward relative to said tubular arms, a depending tubular boss formed on said hanger body intermediate the ends thereof, pull chains having inner ends connected to the inner ends of said plunger rods and outer ends extended from said tubular boss to be pulled for drawing said plunger rods inward against the action of said resilient means, and an arm depending from said tubular boss and formed with a bifurcated guide into which said pull chain can be engaged for holding said pull chain in a desired adjusted position against the action of said resilient means.

8. A garment hanger comprising a hanger body having a pair of outwardly and downwardly extended tubular arms, plunger rods each having one end slidably extended into the outer end of one of said tubular arms, resilient means urging said plunger rods outward relative to said tubular arms, 2, depending tubular boss formed on said hanger body intermediate the ends thereof, pull chains having inner ends connected to the inner ends of said plunger rods and outer ends extended from said tubular boss to be pulled for drawing said plunger rods inwardagainst the action of said resilient means, and an arm depending from said tubular boss and formed with a bifurcated guide into which said pull chain can be engaged for holding said pull chain in a desired adjusted position against the action of said resilient means, said resilient means comprising elastic strips each having one of their ends secured to the inne end of one of said plunger rods and the other of their ends attached to the outer end of the respective tubular arm.

JACK A. SAUNDERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,423,961 Buxton July 15, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 8,148 Great Britain of 1895 

